Where Did Sweet Teddy Go?
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Something is wrong with Teddy. Can Harry figure it out?


**Written for:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Potions  
Task One: Write a fic that spans a week.

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Auction  
Character: Teddy Lupin

 ** _I know the age differences are probably off. For the sake of the story, ignore it._**

 **Where Did Sweet Teddy Go?**

xXx

 **Monday**

Andromeda rested her head on her hands. "I feel like a failure," she whispered.

Harry had never seen the strong woman look so broken, not even when she lost her family. That was probably because she had Teddy to focus on. "You are _not_ a failure. You're a strong witch, a brilliant grandmother, and a wonderful friend. That sounds like success to me."

"I don't feel like a brilliant grandmother right now."

Harry's mind turned to the angry seven-year-old. "Teddy has always been so well behaved. In fact, I tell James to follow Teddy's example. Something must be bothering him."

"I know that, but he won't talk to me about it."

Harry and Ginny had their hands full with three rambunctious kids of their own, but they had always made room in their house for Teddy. "How about he comes stays with me for a week? Maybe I can get to the bottom of his mood swings."

"You don't think Ginny will mind?"

Harry waved away Andromeda's worry. His wife had grown up in a house will family always came first. Ginny wouldn't mind.

X

 **Tuesday**

"Shut up!" Teddy yelled.

Ginny opened her mouth in shock.

Harry was quick with the reprimand. "You do not talk to Albus like that."

"Then tell him to stop being such a crybaby," Teddy sneered if a seven-year-old could sneer.

Ginny got over her shock. "Go to your room," she ordered.

He stomped away to the bedroom he was always given in their house.

Ginny turned to her husband. "What happened to the sweet boy?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, but now I truly understand Andromeda's worry. That was _not_ the Teddy I've always known."

They didn't voice it, but the question was in both of their minds. How did they get back their Teddy?

X

 **Wednesday**

"Teddy, it's dinnertime," Ginny called.

There was no verbal acknowledgment, no footsteps, nothing.

She turned to Harry. "He hasn't left his room all day. I brought food to his room, but I don't even know if he's eaten it."

Harry sighed. "For now on, don't bring food to his room. We don't do room service. If he's hungry enough, he'll come eat with the family."

He stood up from the table and walked to Teddy's room. He knocked on the door. "Are you going to come eat with us?"

There was no answer.

"Okay, but you should know that food is no longer going to be delivered to you. If you want to eat, you'll come to the table."

"I hate you!" Teddy screamed at the top of his lungs.

Harry's heart clenched. He knew it wasn't true, but that didn't stop the words from hurting.

"Teddy, I love you. I'm not sure what's going on with you, but I'm not going to stop loving you. If you get hungry later, come find me or Gin."

He went back to the family dinner table and avoided Ginny's worried eyes. "It's okay. I'll figure out what's going on with Teddy. I won't give up on him."

"I miss the old Teddy," James morosely muttered.

Harry patted his oldest son's shoulder. "You and me both, bud."

X

 **Thursday**

Ginny and the kids were in the middle of family game night when Harry walked in. "Sorry, I'm late."

Ginny smiled thinly. "It's okay."

Harry counted bodies. "Teddy wouldn't come out to play?"

Albus sniffled. "He didn't want to."

Ginny leaned over and kissed the top of Albus' head. "He ate dinner with us. He must have been pretty hungry, but when I asked about family game night, he got this really weird expression on his face and ran to his room."

Harry looked towards the hallway. "Maybe I should go try talking to him again."

Ginny stood up. "Honestly, I'm not sure it would help. Maybe you should let him be tonight."

Harry reluctantly nodded and the two of them sat down next to each other. "What are we playing?"

Two-year-old Lily clapped.

"Exploding Snap," James chimed.

Harry nodded, forcing his mind away from a miserable Teddy. "Let's play then."

X

 **Friday**

Harry heard whispered words as he passed by Lily's room. The door was cracked slightly. He looked in. Lily stood up in her crib, and Teddy pressed his face against the bars, getting as close as he could without being inside of it.

"You're lucky. You have a mum and a dad. _And_ you have two brothers. You'll never deal with someone calling you an orphan. No one can ever say they died to get away from you. You're the luckiest little girl."

"Teddy Bear!" Lily laughed, unaware of the sadness radiating from the boy.

Harry's heart clenched, suddenly understanding the reasoning for Teddy's temperament. His reaction to family togetherness made sense too.

He remembered Malfoy making comments about Harry being an orphan, and he wondered why it never crossed his mind that Teddy might have his own bully.

Harry pushed open the door the rest of the way. "I wish you had talked to me, Teddy."

Teddy jumped, backing away from a grinning redhead. His eyes darted to the door, measuring whether he'd be able to make an escape.

Harry blocked the path. "Teddy, I grew up without parents. I know what it's like to miss them and have others make mean comments, but you have to know that your mum and dad loved you very much."

Teddy averted his eyes. "I'm alone."

Harry went to Teddy and pulled him down so they both sat on the floor. "No, you're not alone. You have a grandmother whose whole world revolves around you. You have a godfather who loves you like you were his own son. You have so many aunts and uncles that there's no way to know what to do with all of them. You have—"

"Me!" Lily interrupted.

Teddy raised his hand and touched Lily's chubby, little fingers that reached through the bars.

Harry laughed. "You have Lily and the rest of your cousins. You'll _never_ be alone."

Teddy tilted his head. "Did you have this too?"

Harry knew what Teddy was asking. He thought about his own lonely childhood. "When I was eleven, I met Uncle Ron and his family. Then I never felt alone again."

Teddy nodded. He stood up and threw his arms around Harry's neck. "I'm sorry for being bad."

"Just go back to being my sweet godson, and then everything will be forgiven."

X

 **Saturday**

Harry smiled as Teddy apologized to Albus for calling him a crybaby.

"You like me again?" Albus timidly asked.

Teddy gave him a big hug. "Of course. In fact, I love you."

"You're a miracle worker, Harry Potter," Ginny whispered.

"No, I'm not. We just didn't know what the problem was."

"That must have been some talk you had with Teddy."

Harry nodded. In a loud voice, so everyone could hear, he said, "Teddy missed family game night a couple of nights ago."

Ginny lightly elbowed him and butted in. "And Daddy was late."

Harry continued as if Ginny hadn't spoken, "So why don't we do it again tonight since Teddy goes home tomorrow?"

All of the kids eagerly.

"Which game?" Ginny asked.

"Exploding Snap!" everyone but Lily simultaneously chorused.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

X

 **Sunday**

Harry and Teddy walked into Andromeda's house.

Andromeda walked out of the kitchen. "How was your week?"

Harry squeezed Teddy's shoulder. "It started off a little rough, but it ended great."

"So, everything's okay?" Andromeda hopefully asked.

"Everything's fine," Harry reassured her.

Teddy smiled and wrapped his arms around Andromeda's waist. "I had fun with Uncle Harry. I won a game of Exploding Snap last night!"

Andromeda returned the hug, sharing a look with Harry. She wouldn't ask what the reason had been for Teddy's behavior. All that mattered was Teddy was fine now. If Teddy wanted to talk to her, she was here, but it seemed Harry had solved the problem.

That was good enough for her.

xXx

(word count: 1,337)


End file.
